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10 · Global Traditions

Safavid

c. 1501–1736

Large tiled domes, vaulted iwans around courtyards, seven-color tile surfaces and muqarnas vaulting in portals.

Look for

Dome Decorative tilework Pointed arch
Shah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran: an example of Safavid architecture
Shah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran. Photo: unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5
Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran
Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque Isfahan, Iran · شهاب الدین علیشاهی, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ali Qapu, Isfahan, Iran
Ali Qapu Isfahan, Iran · Zahradibaji, CC BY-SA 4.0
Chehel Sotoun, Isfahan, Iran
Chehel Sotoun Isfahan, Iran · Zenith210 (talk) (Uploads), CC BY-SA 3.0
Si-o-se-pol, Isfahan, Iran
Si-o-se-pol Isfahan, Iran · Corina Möller, CC BY-SA 4.0

what it is

Safavid architecture is the Persian building tradition of about 1501-1736, best preserved in Isfahan. Mosques and palaces are organized around courtyards, with an iwan (a vaulted hall open on one side) on each side. Domes are double-shelled: a tall outer dome sits over a lower inner one. Wall surfaces are covered in glazed tiles, many in haft rangi (seven-color) painting, and portals are vaulted with muqarnas, tiers of small niches stepping inward.

Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan has the Shah Mosque (1611-c. 1630), whose outer dome is 52 meters high and whose walls carry about 475,000 haft rangi tiles. On the east side, the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque (1603-1619) is a single domed chamber with no courtyard or minarets. The Ali Qapu palace stands on the west side, and the Chehel Sotoun palace (completed 1647) is elsewhere in the city. Islamic Medieval buildings date from 700 to 1500 across many regions. Safavid buildings come after 1501, are centred on Iran, and use tile as the main finish on domes and portals.

how to spot one

Dome A rounded roof shaped as half a sphere, often raised on a drum (a circular wall). Domes cover large central spaces on Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, Renaissance and Neoclassical buildings. Decorative tilework Glazed ceramic tiles, fired clay with a glassy coating, used to finish walls, floors and fireplace surrounds. Examples include Portuguese and Spanish painted azulejos, Islamic geometric patterns and Arts and Crafts art tiles. Pointed arch An arch whose two curved sides meet at a point, called the apex. It is the standard arch of Gothic and Gothic Revival buildings and pushes outward less than a round arch.

Also look for

MinaretCourtyardVaulted ceilingMural painting

history

The Safavid dynasty ruled Iran from 1501 to 1736. Its capital was Tabriz, then Qazvin from 1555, then Isfahan from 1598. In 1537 Shah Tahmasp built the Jannatsara at the shrine of Sheikh Safi in Ardabil. Shah Abbas I (r. 1588-1629) made Isfahan the capital in 1598 and built Naqsh-e Jahan Square there between 1598 and 1629. The Georgian commander Allahverdi Khan built the Si-o-se-pol bridge in Isfahan in 1599-1602.

The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque followed in 1603-1619. The Shah Mosque was begun in 1611 and finished about 1630, with Ali Akbar Isfahani as its main architect, and its double-shell dome follows Timurid designs. The Chehel Sotoun palace was completed in 1647 under Abbas II. Afghan forces took Isfahan in 1722, and the dynasty ended in 1736. Naqsh-e Jahan Square was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1979.

where to find it

Isfahan, Iran: Naqsh-e Jahan Square with the Shah Mosque, the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque and Ali Qapu, plus Chehel Sotoun and the Si-o-se-pol bridge.

easy to confuse with

Gur-e-Amir, an example of Timurid Timurid Huge tiled portals, ribbed turquoise domes on tall drums, and facades covered in glazed brick and mosaic tile. Dome of the Rock, an example of Islamic Medieval Islamic Medieval Domes and minarets over courtyards, pointed and horseshoe arches, and dense geometric and calligraphic ornament. Golestan Palace, an example of Qajar Qajar Brick palaces and houses with painted tile panels of figures and flowers, mirror work, tall arched portals and windcatchers.